Solar generator

ABSTRACT

The invention refers to sun generators, which at the same time deliver warm water and electrical current in the form of direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) and are working at a large angle range to the emitting radiation and their color can be adapted to that of the environment and which will not freeze at low temperatures.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to sun generators which generate electriccurrent while preparing hot water at the same time. Radiation is passedthrough the sun generator's layers one after the other, with the layersbeing non-dazzling and adaptable in color for the observer to match theenvironment of use. The sun generator can be operated over a large anglearea (about 230 degrees) relative to the direct radiation incoming tothe active surface thereof, and the sun generator may possess a deviceagainst freezing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Till now, no solar generators are known which present thecharacteristics of the present sun generator mentioned above.

In "Hybrid Solar Energy Generating System" by D. E. Soul, U.S. Pat. No.4,700,013 of 13th Oct., 1987, a system is disclosed which usesfluid-cooled solar cells. Nevertheless, these cells are not cooleddirectly like in the present sun generator, and the warmth is justreceived by a holding system.

Moreover, in order to generate electric current and thermal energy atthe same time with such a system as disclosed in the Soul patent,expensive devices such as polarization filters are required and theradiation must be divided into long wave and short wave radiation,whereby the efficiency rate of the energy transformation is diminished.

Also the devices to be employed in the Soul patent system are expensiveand may be susceptible to failures, so that they are not suitable forsmall and maintenance-free operating systems like the system of thepresent sun generator. With the present sun generator, 40 watts ofdelivered photovoltaic power is constantly produced and additionally upto 100 watts of delivered thermal power have been measured. This may becontrasted with usual separated solar generators which average 25 wattsof electrical/50 watts thermal power. Moreover, the temperature of thepresent and cooled sun generator remained constant during the measuringperiod (6 hours), whereas the temperature in the usual photovoltaicsolar generators rose while the deliverable electric power duringmeasuring time diminished.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevation view of a sun generator accordingto the present invention with part of an outer side of a winding thereofcut away on the right-hand side, and on the left-hand side the outerside of the winding together with the underlying hose are cut away toreveal the inner side of the winding.

FIG. 2 is a mostly elevation schematic section of the sun generatordepicted in FIG. 1 taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic section of a portion of the sun generator depictedin FIG. 1 taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic top plan view of the sun generator depicted inFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a right-hand end of an alternative sungenerator similar to that depicted in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The sun generator 30 of the present invention includes an outer hose 2(note: more than one outer hose 2 is possible if desired, and theleft-hand side of hose 2 is omitted from FIG. 1) and an inner hose 3. Awinding (or windings) 1 is wound around the hose 2 and (or) the innerhose 3. Winding 1 provides a light transmitting system formed by grooves10 in elements 17, and by a photovoltaic active coating 13 (onlypartially shown in FIG. 5) thereon. A permanent or remanent magnetizablemedium 11 circulates automatically or by force through hose 2 as shownby the circulation arrows. The transmission of the radiation impingingon the sun generator 30 and hence on the medium 11 or water 9 in hose 3,and on the photovoltaic coating 13, make it possible to transform thisradiation of different wavelengths into heat and current without loss.The magnetizable medium 11 is additionally in a by-pass connection to athermosiphon system active in series connection and including heatingresistors 14 and pumps 15. Resistors 14 heat up the magnetizable medium11 and indirectly the water 9 in the inner tube 3 in a heat exchangerelationship. Medium 11 is moved by such heating and/or by pumps 15 forcurrent generating, which is additional to the current generated in thesun generator by photovoltaic coating 13. Thus, a system for inductiongeneration of an efficiency rate of this height till now unknown isprovided, together with the generation of e.g. hot water and/orelectrical current.

The outer hose 2 and inner hose 3 of the thus integrated heat changertransform the radiation directly, or indirectly via a system ofresistances and Foucault current, in the sun generator 30 of the presentinvention. In addition, resistors 14 totally or partially are also usedto protect against freezing of the transport medium 11 for heat exchangeand the medium 9 in the inner tubes.

The winding 1 is preferably manufactured of colorable plastic, or anyother suitable material such as light transmitting fibers. Winding 1 isa system for receiving the light/radiation, as well as optionallyproviding a base for an electrical/magnetical or other acting field. Inthe preferred embodiment, winding 1 is a compact system of lenses, andis provided with all suitable cross sections or thicknesses andpreferably with grooves 10, or as an energy transporting mechanismwinding 1 can be layered/bundled. Winding 1 also has anenergy-transforming (photovoltaic) coating 13 as noted above e.g., dopedsilicon layers, as disclosed in patent application DE 42 05 721.

In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, the winding 1 is alight transmitting fiber/energy transporter which is surface-coveredwith a vaporized coating 13' of a mixture of powdered substances andhardening working material according to the disclosures of patentapplications PCT/DE90/00891, EP 90917048.2-2309/0512998 and DE 39 38881. This makes possible the combination of photovoltaics and thermicsfor obtaining of energy with the present invention.

Preferably, the sun generator 30 can be mounted on a house wall 12 asshown, or on house roofs or by themselves. However mounted, theintegrated heat exchanger intercepts sun light/radiation and is heatedthereby. The grooves 10 of the winding 1 around the hose 2 internallyreflect or transmit the sun light/radiation from an observing angle ofabout -60 degrees and +60 degrees (α, β) from the normal to the surfaceas seen in FIG. 2. And, due to the construction of winding 1 containinggrooves 10 in the transparent plastic or of any suitable materialthereof, reflected light/radiation over an angle of more than e.g. ±60degrees (for the angles α and the angles β) is transmitted onto thesurface of the hose 2 through the winding 1.

An observer from a bird's eye perspective at an angle α of more thanapproximately 30 degrees sees the sun generator 30 as a black surface,optically deformed by this view-point to a smaller overall length thanits actual length. That means that the sun generator's surface which isat disposal for the adsorption of sun radiation (i.e., the effectivesurface measured perpendicular to the impinging radiation) according tothe sun's position in comparison with the largest surface, is a heightor length (at the same relative measurements of horizontalcollectors/positions) which is apparently smaller. That however iswithout any disadvantage as the normally existing perpendicular surfaceson house walls, which till now were mostly unused for that purpose, cannow be employed without concern for their less than favorableorientation. The sun generator 30 of this construction now can beadapted to all usual house wall colors, what is indispensable foresthetic reasons when using the surfaces of a house which are typicallyperpendicular and unusable for esthetic reasons. Prior to thisinvention, no working material or combined material was known whichinternally reflects light depending on direction and which respectivelycan transmit partially at the same time.

For convenience, the light transmitting parts are hereafter calledoptical transmitting lenses. The frontal side of these lenses areapproximately kept positioned opposed to the direct direction of the sunlight, while the outer surface is photovoltaicly active. These lensesemit radiation to the collector foil 13 and direct light/radiationreflecting perpendicularly to the main axes thereof to the foil 13 aswell. By means of manufacturing, the winding 1 surrounds the hose 2. Thewinding part mounted on the reverse (inner side) of the hose 2, whichhose 2 is flat pressed with the inner hose 3, is one or several closelylying windings of transparent plastic or of any other suitable material,and has beams impinging on its reflecting surfaces. The lenses (actingnow as prisms--which can have also other geometrical and/ornon-geometrical definable shapes) provide for reflection and/orlight/radiation emission, or for light transmission totally or partiallyvia the system of lenses and/or the light transporting system (via fiberbundles or light transmitters 17 schematically shown as FIG. 5) to thecoatings of the photovoltaic elements 13, 5 and 6, and to other suchelements in/on the hose 2 and the winding 1.

The circuit, like that from the delivered direct current (DC), isgenerated as an alternating current (AC). A magnetic field is providedaround the expanded metal 8 of iron material, or around any otherremanent and/or permanent magnetizable material, e.g., elementarymagnets 19 in the mixture of glycol and water mixed in a 50:50 rate asmedium 11. The magnetic field transports finely dispersed remanentand/or permanent magnetic particles by the thermosiphon effect. Thisthermosiphon effect is supported by the thermal effect of heatingresistances 14 and/or by a pumping effect of the pumps 15.

FIG. 2 shows, with arrows 34 arranged under different angles andperpendicularly, the emission of radiation 34 from the lenses whichheats the medium 11 causing it to flow (or by radiation 34 at any anglehitting on the sun generator). With the medium 11 flow in the magneticfield of the expanded metal 8 (or of any other suitablemagnetic/electrical transmitter), there is delivered an inductivecurrent (an alternating current) to the connections 7 and leads labeled"AC". This generation of alternating current by flowing of hot water atthe same time is unique. The heat exchange from the generator to thestore or reservoir for warm water is realized in the sun generator 30 ofthe present invention in the inner tube 3 filled with water 9 as theheat flux passes through the tube wall of the hose 2 and thetransporting medium 11 and elementary magnetic particles surrounding thetube 3.

The expanded metal 8 is a support for the hose 2, the surroundingwindings 1, the inner tube 3, the connecting pieces 4, the electricalresistances (elements 5 and 6 and connection 7), and the photovoltaiccoating or covering 13 on the various elements 5, 6, 17, 10. Theexpanded metal 8 is screwed with screws 32 and plugs 36 on a house wall12 or the like and is additionally mounted with quick binding concreteor the like (not shown) in order to keep a distance from the wallcorrect and for additional fastening. The inner tube 3 is preferably ofa harder material than the connecting pieces 4 and the hose 2, so thatfor fastening thereof there is used the adhering tightening and sealingsystem known in utility model G 9207218.6 and registered according toPCT/EP92/01181. In that system the mandrel, here in the inner hose 3,opens out at each end for connection to the connecting pieces 4, andhence hose 3 gets pulled tighter with increasing tension load. A lightupsetting or compression, however, is sufficient to loosen theconnection made in a relatively easy way.

In the version shown according to FIG. 1, the material used for the hose2 is an elastomer thermoplastic stable at over 140° C. ofethylene-butylene-polystryol. This material is transparent for light andcan be colored in any color. Moveover, this material is resistant to lowtemperatures and can be very well welded with polypropylene. Preferablythe inner tube 3 uses the same material as for the hose 2, but in orderto obtain the necessary hardness the material of hose 3 is anirradiation cross-linked version. The winding 1 is a transparentpolymethylmetaacrylate (PMMA), for example extruded as mass pre-materialfrom granulate. The cross section form of the winding 1 material islens-shaped, and it is thus appropriate for winding around the hose 2 inone coil or several. The grooves 10 can be provided in the winding 1before or after winding around the hoses 2, 3 or 2 and 3. The hose 3 ismanufactured according to the procedure indicated in the patentapplication P 4142684.3 and with the machines and tools according toG9106626.3, and further according to DE 3938811 A1, DE 4037201 A1,PCT/DE90/00891, DE 4140875 A1, G8913795.7 and DE 4201759.

After winding around, the winding 1 together with the inside formedinner tube 3 are pressed flat according to PCT/DE90/00891 and, as thecase may be, provided with grooves 10.

The sun generator 30 is mainly made of thermoplastic, which permitsoperation in a temperature range from about minus 70 degrees up to plus170 degrees Celsius. According to patent application DE 4205721, thereis also produced a highly solid, radiation resistant, form stable,printable and temperature resistant foil covered photovoltaic elements5, 6 and 13.

Lateral framework members or sparings 16 are provided with fabricinlays, which inlays minimize the expansion and have integrated thereinzones of the laminate foils. The fabric inlay of this combined workingmaterial is covered by plastic; and electrical spools 14 and pumps 15are provided as shown. According to the invention, there are availableprintable plastic foils with several coatings of the photovoltaicelements, e.g., in the high-vacuum processing, by evaporating of asilicon compound on highly flexible thin plastic foils of about only 0.2mm thickness to the already printed connections.

The laminated foils are bonded to each other by welding or by gluing,have about a 0.3 mm thickness, have connections 7 and inlayingelectronic components, and are gas-tight. The fluid filled tube 2 andthe inner tube 3 are then fitted one into each other and flat pressed sothat they form multilayer photovoltaic elements out of about 10 singleplastic foils with evaporated photovoltaic coating thereon together withthe coated elements 17 located in the winding 1 which arise from thegrooves 10 on the front part of the windings 1.

The basic working material is produced from irradiation cross-linkedplastic of e.g. a ethylene/butylene/polystyrol mixture, with the glassfiber and the covered glass fiber fabric being rolled at the same time.The temperature resistance and the working material characteristics ofraising filling materials being obtained, at the same time thatcalibration of the basic working material foils and the laminatemanufactured therefrom are produced, using e.g., a silicon compoundmaterial.

In this version, the photovoltaicly generated current is partially usedto transport/circulate the elementary magnets in themagnetic/magnetizable fluid 11, supporting the thermosiphon effect bysun irradiation with the help of the membrane 15 and/or heatingresistances 14 provided as resistance coils around the inner tubes 3 andpassing heat indirectly to the tube 2.

In this version the sun generator 30 is totally only about 12 mm thickand can be coiled in a roll, and in coiled form it can be hung on housewalls and easily removed therefrom.

I claim:
 1. A sun generator comprising:an inner tube filled with a firstfluid; an outer tube surrounding said inner tube and filled with asecond fluid in which magnetic particles are suspended, said first andsecond fluids being in a heat exchange relationship; an electricalheating element adjacent said inner tube and inside of said outer tube;a system of lenses located on said outer tube, said system of lensesreceiving radiation and reflecting a part of the received radiation tosaid outer tube and said inner tube for heating of said first and secondfluid mediums; a photovoltaic material integral with said system oflenses which produces a direct current when radiation impinges thereon,which direct current produces an active electromagnetic field in saidmaterial; a first circulating means for circulating said second fluidand the magnetic particles therein in said outer tube whereby saidmagnetic particles circulating in said second fluid generate analternating current in conjunction with the electromagnetic field whichis applied to said heating element to heat said second fluid directlyand hence said first fluid; and a second circulating means forcirculating said first fluid to obtain heat energy from said first fluidand to cool said second fluid.
 2. A sun generator as claimed in claim1:wherein said system of lenses is provided as a winding attached aboutsaid outer hose, said winding including a series of grooves on an outersurface thereof.
 3. A sun generator as claimed in claim 1:wherein saidsecond fluid is a liquid including an antifreeze agent therein; andwherein said magnetic particles are one of permanent or remanentmagnetic particles.
 4. A sun generator as claimed in claim 1:furtherincluding an expanded metal base to which said inner hose and said outerhose are mounted and which is adapted for mounting on a verticalstructure.
 5. A sun generator as claimed in claim 1:wherein said innertube and said outer tube are made from a colorable thermoplasticelastomer which is transparent; and wherein said system of lenses ismade from a material which is colorable.
 6. A sun generator as claimedin claim 1:wherein said system of lenses is a radiation-transportingbundle of fibers; and wherein said photovoltaic material is integralwith said fibers.